Boys and Girls Club offering ‘Road Code’

Published April 20, 2012 at 11:07 am

The Elk River branch of Boys and Girls Clubs of 10,000 Lakes will become a driver’s education studio again this Thursday.

The club is serving as one of 52 Boys and Girls Clubs across the country to implement UPS Road Code, a comprehensive teen safe driving course provided in partnership with UPS and Boys and Girls Clubs of America.

“The program is designed to teach teens on how to be a safe drivers” said Russ Branjord, the director of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Elk River.

Students gave the first of two sessions high marks.

“I loved the class,” said Katie a UPS Road Code graduate. “It was fun. I learned a lot, and I really liked the driving simulator.”

The program has the support of the Elk River Police Department. Todd Erickson, one of the department’s detectives attended and said:

“We are driving 4,000lbs missiles, and many of us don’t realize that our lives can change in seconds.”

More than 1.3 million people die each year due to auto accidents.

What’s more, “auto accidents are the leading cause of death for teenagers,” Road Code Coordinator T.J. White explained.

UPS has some of the safest drivers on the road because of the defensive driving courses they complete.

“We teach the same defensive driving techniques in the class that we do to our own drivers,” White said.

In addition to The UPS Foundation grant to implement the program, the Club also received a driving simulator, giving teens a “real life” experience on the road.

The next class is from 2 to 6 p.m. on Thursday April 26 and Friday, April 27. Parents or teens need to call Russ at 763-241-5000 (ext. 12) to register. The class is free but there is a limit of 15 students per class.